BECAUSE - The MOST important English word

Mind the Gap

2012-02-02T11:29:00.000-08:00

In this context, "mind" means "pay attention to". Every time we tackle a new concept in class, there is a gap between our current base of knowledge and the knowledge we'll need in order to show mastery of the topic. For examaple, when we began studying adjectives, you might not have known much about them. On the other hand, you might have had some background knowledge. In either case, there was some information on adjectives that you needed to learn - a gap.

How do we mind the gap? What specific things can we do to gain knowledge? If you knew that there would be a test on prepositions in only a month, what might you do in order to close the gap between what you currently know and what you might need to know in order to pass?

Extra fun: Where are "Mind the Gap" notices most commonly seen?

Sportsmanship

2012-01-24T09:05:00.000-08:00

Read this article by Rick Reilly.

Once you have finished, tell me what you think the purposes of playing sports are. What is the most important thing about sports? What is important to some, but not important to you?

Make a connection

2012-01-11T08:24:00.000-08:00

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is coming up on Monday. Write about the importance of his work in creating opportunities as it relates to the three pictures below. Feel free to use the googles (or the asks, or the bings) to add to your base of knowledge on the subject.

1950 team photo, Indian Head Rockets

1950 team photo, New York Yankees

2011 National League All-Star Ballot

Snow days

2011-12-13T07:47:00.000-08:00

Soon we are likely to get a day or two off of school due to snow. What do you think the greasers would do on a snow day? What do you think the Socs would do on a snow day?

Make sure to expand on your answers, explaining why you think each group would engage in the activities.

Writing briefly

2011-12-06T17:58:00.000-08:00

Write a main idea statement based on any character in The Outsiders other than Darry. Support your statement with three details, listed as bullet points below your statement. Below is an example using Darry.

Darry is under a lot of pressure in his daily life.
   - He has to work two jobs to support himself and his brothers financially.
   - He has to make sure Ponyboy does well in school, so that Pony can reach his potential.
   - He was unprepared for this role, since it landed in his lap when his parents were killed.

Projecting an image

2011-11-30T07:14:00.000-08:00

Some people love their hair. Others don't. Some people change their hairstyle as styles and trends change, rendering their old hairstyle less fashionable. Others still do their hair the same way they have since high school. Some people try to make a statement with their hair. Others make the statement, "I have more important things about which to worry than how my hair looks". Some play with, style, twist, turn, braid, fidget with, ruffly, shake, or otherwise manipulate their hair almost constantly. Others only touch it when they wash it. Some maintain their hair at a high level. Others choose a style specifically because it is low maintenance.

What does your hair say about you? How do you think others perceive your hair? Do you care about what others think about your hair. When getting your hair cut, do you think about what others might think when choosing your style?

The future

2011-10-24T11:32:00.000-07:00

Typically when we write a story we write about something that has happened; naturally when doing this we use the past tenses. Write a five sentence story about a day in the life of a student 30 years from now. Try to imagine how schools and learning might change. Keep in mind that some things will remain the same; for example, 30 years ago students sat at desks. Students today sit at desks. It's entirely possible that students 30 years from now will sit at desks. Be creative, have fun, and write about how things WILL BE.

Tense

2011-10-17T07:56:00.000-07:00

Verbs have five characteristics - person, number, tense, mood, and voice. Tense is used to tell when an action happens or a state of being exists. Helping verbs help us to control the tense. As such, they can be very useful in describing a sequence of events. I was thinking about what to type. I am typing words. I will walk away from my computer.

Write three sentences about this picture. The first sentence should be in the past tense; it should describe what was happening immediately before this picture was taken. The second sentence should be in the present tense; it should describe what is happening in the picture. The third sentence should be in the future tense; it should describe what will happen next.

Fall

2011-09-26T08:16:00.000-07:00

Authors are often inspired by visually beautiful scenes from nature. These scenes not only add inspiration to our daily lives, they also remind us of the rhythm of the seasons. The glorious transition of leaves from green to bright yellows, reds, and oranges can be visually stunning. Additionally, the crispness of the air can be a welcome respite after summer's heat. In the back of our minds, though, we know that the fall foliage is temporary beauty that will soon be replaced by the stark, bare scenery of late autumn and early winter.

What do you like best about fall? What do you like the least? For bonus, include three abstract nouns in your response and underline each one. You may use the passage above as a reference for these, but do underline any of the abstract nouns from above in your writing.

Practice makes better

2011-09-19T07:48:00.000-07:00

Dustin Johson is a talented golfer. Some of his ability is natural; some comes from dedicated practice. At one point in the video he mentions that he occasionally gets results that are not ideal; he has determined that often these results come from a mechanical problem in his swing. This is great for him to know, because he can fix the problem when it arises by concentrating on that specific element of his swing the next time around. Just as a certain swing can generate a great shot, a good study routine can generate great results on a quiz or test. What is the most important part of your study routine? What do you do, and how can you adjust this if it isn't producing the results you desire?

The power of water

2011-09-09T04:58:00.000-07:00

Thursday was certainly an unusual day; it's rare to use a "snow day" in September! While many of us weren't directly affected by flooding, quite a few people were either impacted personally or knew people who were impacted by rivers and streaming leaving their banks behind. How did the rain and flooding affect you and those you know? What did you do with the unexpected day off yesterday?

Learning from our history

2011-05-31T10:00:00.000-07:00

If I could travel in time to spend a week in any other year in American history, I would spend a week in 1933. During the Great Depression many were called upon to find strength beyond what they thought they possessed because of truly desperate circumstances. Many who had worked hard and done the right things saw everything for which they had worked snatched away through no fault of their own. I believe that by spending time with people who clung to hope and resolve during such trying times I could learn some valuable lessons about the depth of human courage and our capacity to overcome misfortune. Spending this time would make me feel better about the human race; it would also help me appreciate my circumstances rather than taking them for granted.

If you could travel through American history to spend a week in another time, what year would you choose? What would you hope to learn from the time you spent?

Let's talk about the weather.

2011-05-23T09:41:00.000-07:00

It seems that damaging weather has become more frequent and more severe. It might just be that the news channels are increasing their coverage of each event, capitalizing on our desire to see sensational news. Do you think that weather systems have changed since the mid-1900s, or do you believe that our reporting of weather in the media has merely brought it more immediately to our attention? Make sure to reference at least two events from each time period in your response.

Honesty

2011-05-16T10:03:00.000-07:00

Bruce Pearl lost his job as the men's basketball coach at the University of Tennessee about a month ago. After breaking some NCAA rules, he lied about what he had done. Many think that had he simply told the truth about his actions, he would still have his job.

What can we learn from Bruce's mistake? What other prominent coach should have learned not to lie to the NCAA? What do you think will happen to this other prominent coach?

(hint: google prominent coach lying NCAA)

Finding help on the internet

2011-04-11T09:51:00.000-07:00

There is a vast amount of information on the internet, and given how complicated diagramming can be at times it would be a shame not to use available resources when we run into problems. If you miss a class because you are sick, you might want to reinforce your knowledge of diagramming, and possibly add to it. If you miss a moment of class because you were unavoidably distracted, you might want to reinforce your knowledge of diagramming, and possibly add to it. Which of these three sites is most helpful in brushing up on what you already know? What about the site makes it so helpful? Which of these sites is least helpful in learning more about the topic? Why do you think that this is the case? Which of these sites would you recommend to a friend that you know is stressed about studying for the next knowledge evaluation? Why is this site the best for preparing for a test or quiz?

Site One

Site Two

Site Three

Preposition practice.

2011-03-28T10:11:00.000-07:00

This would undoubtedly be an incredible view. What did this climber go through to get to this point? Were there any moments of frustration? Were there times when the climber had to evaluate one strategy, possibly ditching it in exchange for another? Most importantly, if the climb had been simple to accomplish, would the climber feel any different than he or she seems to feel at this moment?

Research and write.

2011-03-22T10:08:00.000-07:00

Who is Anthony Robles? What accomplishment did he recently add to his list of achievements? Whom did he defeat in the finals?

There are some who would say that Anthony was able to turn his disadvantage into an advantage. What possible advantage did he gain?

Finally, do you believe that it took more physical strength or emotional strength to accomplish what he did? Why do you believe this?

Spatial relationships.

2011-02-28T10:13:00.000-08:00

Using five sentences, describe the picture above as completely as possible. Each sentence should contain a prepositional phrase.

The writing process

2011-02-14T09:45:00.000-08:00

Often we think of writing as an event. When we have an assigned paragraph, for example, we write out a paragraph and turn it in. If we are compelled to check it over, we look for obvious spelling, grammar, and capitalization errors. Seeing none, we are confident that we have done good work and should get at least a 90. After all, we did the assignment.

Doing good work often involves multiple steps. When I check back over what I have written, I should do so with the assumption that improvements could be made. When the drafters of the Declaration of Independence wrote that very important document, they wrote out a draft (it is the old document in the picture above). They then made some adjustments to the draft to express their exact thoughts and ideas more clearly.

Your assignment this week is to re-write the paragraph below. There aren't any spelling or grammar errors; you must re-write it in such a way as to make the meaning more clear. Feel free to move sentences, dramatically alter them, or eliminate them altogether. Your paragraph should clearly and completely state what mine rambles on about.

Edit the following:

I don't always love February very much. Sometimes I think it is like one of the months that I don't like too much, especially since I like some other ones better. It might be because it sort of tempts us to think that spring is on the way, but then it yanks the rug out from under you by becoming cold and miserable again. I really like it when it is warm out, because then I can play outside and be comfortable. I don't like playing in the snow for too long because I get cold. In February the days begin to get noticeably longer, and the increased daylight makes me think I'll soon be spending more time outside. Then it gets cold again and I realize that February was just teasing me, and it will take more time before I get to enjoy being outside again.

Making connections

2011-02-07T10:11:00.000-08:00

Click on the picture of Tom Hale to read about him and the arguably tragic end to his life. What two characters in The Outsiders have the most in common with Tom? What similarities do they share?

Fair?

2011-01-31T09:38:00.000-08:00

In the picture, there are young students dressed as Socs and greasers, looking ready to rumble. The instances of conflict in chapters 1 through 7 have been very different from this picture, though. Who do you think will win this fight? Why?

In order to earn full credit, you should use what you know from the book about Socs and greasers as well any evidence you can find in the picture to support your opinion.

The content of your character

2011-01-24T10:09:00.001-08:00

In what is widely regarded as his most famous speech, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."

In The Outsiders, many of the characters are quick to judge the other characters based on appearances. Cherry and Marcia step outside of normal Soc behavior by talking in a friendly manner with some greasers. After chatting for a while, it is obvious that Cherry and Ponyboy get along well and have some important similarities. Why is it that she explains to Pony that she probably won't talk to him if they cross paths in school? What does it reveal about Cherry's character that she doesn't want to even be seen talking to him by other Socs?

More adjectives!

2011-01-10T15:07:00.000-08:00

Describe the young men in the picture. Use at least 15 adjectives; put the adjectives in all capitals.

Using adjectives

2011-01-04T09:44:00.000-08:00

Describe the picture. In your description, include at least 10 adjectives. Each adjective should be in all caps.

Let's reflect.

2010-12-20T09:48:00.001-08:00

The Hall of Mirrors in Versailles is a lot like a break; it is great for reflection. A few weeks ago, I asked you to write out some specific things that you could do to maximize every day between the Thanksgiving and winter breaks. After re-reading your comment to that post, write how you did. Did this plan help you have a great month? Was it an easy plan to follow? Did you set measurable goals for performance (for example "I should participate in every class" instead of "I should participate more")? If you were to re-do the past month, what one thing would you do differently?

Favorites

2010-12-13T09:53:00.000-08:00

I absolutely adore a mug of steaming hot chocolate on a cold winter day. Especially when snow is slowly drifting down, creating a peaceful, gray-toned, soothing scene I love to read and relax in front of the fire with hot chocolate by my side. In the past I have also found that hot chocolate is a wonderful tool for warming up more quickly when coming in from the cold on a blustery day. Fingers frozen to the bone regain their feeling much more quickly when wrapped around a piping hot mug of heavenly hot chocolate.

What is your favorite winter treat? When do you enjoy it the most?

Snow!!

2010-12-06T09:54:00.000-08:00

Snow means many different things to different people. Snow causes me to drive more slowly, which means I have to get up earlier in the morning. It means that I have to shovel out my driveway and keep walkways clear around the house. I have to wear boots around outside, and bring shoes with me if I don't want to walk around in wet shoes all day.

However, I still enjoy snow. I look forward to seeing it filter down across gray skies, drifting through pine boughs and gently coating everything. I look forward to going sledding with my family, and playing with my dogs until the cold drives me in. I look forward to seeing the familiar scenery shrouded in a white blanket. I even look forward to the occasional snow day, although I hope that we don't miss any school during wrestling season.

What does the snow mean to you? What do you like or dislike about it?

Back to the grind

2010-11-29T13:08:00.000-08:00

It can be tough to get back in the swing of things after a quick break, especially with enthusiasm about the upcoming break building ever higher. Anticipation and excitement about the holiday break and what it might hold in store for us can lead to daydreaming and inefficient use of time. This compounds our being out of routine from the Thanksgiving break.

Like sprinters headed down the final stretch, it can help us to keep the finish line in sight and make sure each stride has a purpose. If we slow down and coast into the finish, we're unlikely to be pleased with our results.

What is one specific thing that you can do to maximize each day in school before the next break?
(The more specific you are, the more easily you'll be able to evaluate your process and assess how well you did at a later date. Hint, hint.)

Thanksgiving

2010-11-22T08:50:00.000-08:00

When I was growing up, I was fortunate enough to have parents who made me eat all kinds of different food. Even if I didn't want to try something, I had to have at least a taste. Now that I'm older I appreciate the broad array of foods and flavors to which I was exposed. Many things that I didn't like at first I ended up enjoying. If I had been given my way, I would never have taken a bite!

While I acquired a taste for many different foods, I never grew to like sweet potatoes. I think this is partly due to their texture and partly to their flavor. If they are buried under enough butter and brown sugar I can stomach sweet potatoes, but I would prefer not to have to deal with them. This makes Thanksgiving somewhat problematic because sweet potatoes are almost always a featured item. I don't want to seem rude to the person nice enough to prepare them, but I also don't want to eat them.

What is your least favorite food at Thanksgiving? Are you able to avoid having to eat any? What tricks do you use to get out of eating this food?

Musical inspiration

2010-11-15T09:32:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite groups these day is Flobots. I like their music because many of the tunes are catchy but have substance below the catchy surface. Since they have more depth, I find that I can listen to the songs over and over without growing tired of them. Their lyrics have some important, socially significant points. While I don't necessarily agree with everything the group says, I do like the idea of groups using musical arts to express opinions about important social issues.

What artist or group have you been particularly enjoying recently? What do you especially like about her/him/them?

Open for suggestion

2010-11-12T05:33:00.000-08:00

What should next week's blog comment be? Submit a topic that you think would

a) be interesting.

b) provide opportunities for explanation.

c) be an entertaining topic.

Make sure to explain why YOUR submission should be the one.

Writing

2010-11-08T09:38:00.000-08:00

Calvin seems to be voicing an interesting opinion about the purpose of intricate and jargon-filled writing. What is he actually saying? Do you agree with him? Why or why not?

You should click on the comic to get a version of it that is large enough to read clearly.

Evaluating processes

2010-11-02T05:08:00.000-07:00

Even major league baseball players look silly occasionally. In order to remain in the big leagues, they constantly evaluate their processes. For example, in the picture above Russell Martin has taken a horrible swing, and has missed the pitch badly. Rather than evaluating his result ( a swing and a miss), he will evaluate his process - when he decided to swing, how he distributed his weight, where his hands were, etc.

Often we are tempted to evaluate our results. We think of successes and failures as the grades we earned rather than the process we used. It will be more helpful for us to evaluate our processes - for example, what specific strategies we used to study. Instead of thinking about homework in terms of doing it or not, we can evaluate the process we used to make sure we completed it and had it with us.

What is one process you think you should either change or adapt to achieve better results in one of your classes?

Re-visiting Brock Mealer

2010-10-25T09:39:00.000-07:00

A phenomenal fall poem will use words to evoke strong emotion (click "evoke" to see the definition). Watch the Brock Mealer video above. You have some background knowledge about his situation already, but the video will give you more insight. After watching, answer the following two questions.

What scenes evoked the strongest emotions for you?

What purpose do the scenes from right before the game fulfill? (You might want to rewatch this part to refresh your memory.)

Performance indicators

2010-10-18T09:32:00.000-07:00

On Friday, report cards for the first 5 weeks went home. Along the way you have had some hints as to how you were doing: tests and quizzes handed back, homework that you did or didn't do, and your feelings about how well you were grasping concepts. Now that you have seen your grades, in which class do you feel you are doing the best? Why do you think you are doing well in that class? Is there anything you could improve?

Learning

2010-10-12T09:43:00.000-07:00

Brooks Conrad, a second baseman for the Atlanta Braves, made three errors in a playoff game against the San Fransisco Giants over the weekend. Before the next game, as the players were getting warmed up, Conrad was given an ovation from the Braves fans. Why would the fans cheer for Conrad in this situation? Shouldn't they have let him know that he had let them down when he cost his team the game? What can we learn from this situation?

Plot charts

2010-10-04T09:01:00.000-07:00

Plot charts can be a great way to develop the framework for a story. Once the framework is in place, it is relatively simple to add in appropriate supporting details that make an interesting story. Starting to write without having a framework in place, however, can lead to a long, boring story that never comes to a climax or a conclusion.

In order to practice making charts, pick a favorite book or movie. Write out a brief plot chart, being sure to include at least three examples of rising action.

Armageddon
Exposition: A meteor is headed toward Earth; if it isn't stopped, it will destroy our planet.

Rising Action:
1. A plan is developed to have a crew of oil drillers drill into the meteor and deposit a bomb.
2. The crew is separated on the meteor; down to one active drill, they begin work
3. After many complications, the second crew arrives on the scene to make the final push.
4. They drill to the necessary depth; however, the remote trigger for the bomb fails.
5. Harry Stamper stays behind to detonate the bomb.

Climax:
Harry is ready to press the trigger, and time is running out. The remaining crew blast off, but worry that something might have gone wrong. Can Harry detonate the bomb in time?!

Falling Action:
He does. The shuttle comes back safely to Earth, and the surviving members of the crew are happy.

Conclusion:
Harry's daughter and one of the crew members get married; at the wedding, there are large pictures of the crew who died on the mission. Happily ever after.

A new season

2010-09-27T09:39:00.001-07:00

Autumn is upon us again! While there are many things I love about the summer, autumn is my favorite season. As summer winds down and begins to give way to the fall, I look forward to crisp air, vibrant color spreading over the hills, and the coziness and smell of a nice fire in the evening. I enjoy the building excitement of football season and the sizzling culmination of the baseball season. My favorite part of fall is the timelessness of a warm autumn afternoon. Memories of seemingly identical days from previous years filter through, and it seems that in an hour I can relive many happy times from when I was younger. I think this is because, the drab fall days make the gorgeous ones stand out that much more. Each nice fall day is more easily imprinted on the mind, along with the sensory circumstances of the day. When those sensory circumstances are duplicated, the memories of great days flood in.

What do you like most about the fall? Why?

Work

2010-09-20T09:01:00.000-07:00

Often when we say the word "work" we are referring to a job or a career. However, students have quite a bit of work to do. What is work? Given the choice between doing work and goofing around, many choose to avoid work. What is the point of doing work? What is the point of avoiding work?

Goals for the year

2010-09-13T10:48:00.000-07:00

As we start a new school year, it can be very helpful to set goals. By choosing to pursue a certain level of accomplishment we can develop the plan we'll need to follow. Once we have a plan, we can check our progress from time to time; this will let us know whether we need to change anything we are doing. If we're setting our goals high, there will probably be some obstacles in the way of achieving them, like the goalie standing in front of the net.

What is one academic goal you would like to achieve this year? What is one obstacle facing you that will make it difficult to accomplish this goal?

(If you can't think of an obstacle, you might have set your sights a little too low; try thinking of a more challenging goal.)

Overcoming challenges

2010-09-06T05:31:00.000-07:00

Sometimes simple acts can be the greatest achievements. For years, Michigan's football players have sprinted out of the tunnel and soared to touch the banner. Fans love watching it, and it is an emotionally charged moment full of power and grace. The stampede of fast, strong, agile athletes fills the stadium with awe.

What could be so special about one man slowly walking across the field to reach up and touch the banner?

Overcoming challenges

2010-06-01T09:38:00.001-07:00

Looking back over the course of the year, we can see the many challenges we have faced. Each year in school we encounter more and more difficult materials, a more rigorous workload, increasingly abstract ideas, and grumpier teachers.

What is one challenge you faced? Did you successfully overcome the challenge, or did it prove to be too much for you at that point in time? If you were able to overcome it, tell what strategies allowed you to do so. If it the challenge was too much for you at that time, tell what strategies you used the first time, and what strategies you will try the next time you are faced with a similar challenge.

Everybody makes mistakes; if you learn from yours, you will be less likely to repeat them.

The good life

2010-05-17T07:20:00.000-07:00

If I could be any non-human animal, I would choose to be a dog. I love that dogs are energetic, affectionate, loyal, intelligent and enthusiastic.
The characteristic that I enjoy most about dogs is that they love to play; additionally, they are ingenuous when it comes to finding toys. Jake has entertained himself quite well with the spray from a sprinkler. Blue can spend hours playing with an old shoe. They love playing tug-of-war with hoses, plastic tubing, sticks and anything else they can find. Even if they can't find a toy, they'll run in circles nipping at each other. I would love to have the freedom to play all day and the ingenuity to turn so many things into toys.

If you got to choose an animal to become, what animal would you choose? What do you appreciate most about this animal? Why would you find life enjoyable as this animal?

Perfection!

2010-05-10T09:36:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Dallas Braden threw a perfect game for the Oakland A's. In the photo above, Dallas and his catcher jump for joy as the final out is made. What is a perfect game? How many have been thrown in the history of Major League Baseball? How was it especially signifcant to Dallas that players wore pink necklaces to raise awareness of the fight against cancer for Mother's Day?

Make sure to answer all of the questions ("I don't know" is not an acceptable answer), and include the source of your information in your comment.

If given the gift of time . . .

2010-05-04T09:59:00.000-07:00

If we had one more period we could add to the school day during which you could study whatever subject you wanted, what would you study?

I would love to take a gardening class in which I could learn how to grow a phenomenal flower garden that would feature the best flora upstate New York has to offer.

What did you learn?

2010-04-26T17:34:00.000-07:00

Over break I learned how to use a posthole digger (and prybar) to dig holes in really rocky soil. I learned how to use carriage bolts to secure 2x8 boards to 4x4 posts. I also got to practice a couple of things I learned to do while completing previous projects. I practiced mixing and pouring concrete, and hammering lots of nails.

What did you learn over break?

Whew!!!

2010-04-14T04:58:00.000-07:00

Portfolios are done!!

You did a fantastic job crafting, editing, and working to perfect the elements of your portfolio and your presentations. If you had one more day, what would you do to make your portfolio or your presentation even better? Feel free to think big on this one.

Outside activities

2010-04-06T09:42:00.001-07:00

I hope that everybody had a chance to get out into the great weather this weekend. I love spending chunks of time playing, digging, and planting outside in comfortable weather. I've been working recently to make my yard as beautiful as possible.The dogwood tree, pictured here, are a classic image of springtime here in America (I planted one last fall). Azaleas are very common down south, and can be seen in full bloom beautifying the Masters golf tournament in Georgia. Washington DC is famous for its gorgeous cherry blossoms in the spring, and forsythia are quite common locally. If you are unsure what each looks like, head over to google images and do a little searching.

Of these four spring blooms, which is your favorite? If you could plant the ideal spring garden, which two of the above plants would you be sure to include? Which of the four is your least favorite? Why?

Which will you choose?

2010-03-30T10:20:00.000-07:00

You have been walking in the woods for hours. You only meant to take a short walk to clear your head, since you've been really stressed out about your portfolio recently. You inadvertently lost track of where you were going, and now it seems as though you've been walking in cricles. You feel as though you've been here before; if you remember correctly, the last time you tried the left fork. You can't really remember for sure, though. Part of you thinks that maybe you went right last time, and maybe you haven't really been here before - maybe your mind is just playing tricks on you. You're ravenous, and on top of that you're so thirsty that your tongue feels like it's made of cotton and covered in sand.

You really need to make it back to your cabin soon. Not only are you hungry and thirsty, but you can see the sun beginning to descend toward the treetops. Before long it will set. The air will cool, nocturnal predators will come looking for you, and you'll have an even harder time finding your way along the path.

Which direction do you head next? Why?

Retribution?

2010-03-22T09:40:00.000-07:00

Most of you did a good job of locating good information about the Manhattan Project and commenting on Truman's decision. Some of you were a little confused on the timeline of events. Japan and America were not in direct conflict until the attack on the military base at Pearl Harbor. Although there is some debate as to whether anybody knew of the attack before it hit, it is widely accpeted that those on the base were taken completely by surprise. Further, the American public was shocked and outraged by the attack.

Locate some good information about the attack on Pearl Harbor and on the reaction by regular American citizens. Do you think that public opinion regarding Japan played any role in the decision Truman made to attack Japan with atomic bombs a few years later? Would you change your opinion of Truman's decision now that you know more about the attack on Pearl Harbor?

Important Decisions

2010-03-15T09:53:00.001-07:00

The series Band of Brothers was an incredibly popular HBO show about soldiers in the European theater of the Second World War. HBO will soon be airing the series, Pacific, which will detail the experiences of soldiers in the Pacific theater of the war. As the battles between Allied and Japanese forces were prolonged, it seemed to some that many were being killed and captured for relatively little territorial gain. While it seemed likely that the Allies would be victorious in the Pacific theater, it looked as though achieving the victory would be a very long, arduous, and bloody affair.

The Manhattan Project was undertaken in part to find a way to more speedily achieve surrender on the part of the Japanese. Harry Truman was the President of the United States who ultimately gave the go-ahead on the plan to drop nuclear bombs on two Japanese cities. Going through with the plan meant killing a vast but unknown number of civilians; generally, the killing of civilians is considered wrong even during war. However, it was thought that many American lives could be saved in the process, and that many soldiers on both sides could be saved from gruesome death and injury in battle by a quicker Japanese surrender.

Do a couple minutes of research on the web. What information can you find about the decision? What source did you use to learn this information? Based on this information, do you think Truman made the right move?

Decisions, decisions

2010-03-08T09:37:00.000-08:00

Mazes and puzzles present us with obvious points at which we have to make a decision. Should we go left? Should we go right? Have we already strayed down the wrong path?

One strategy for making good decisions is to pause and consider the REASON that you might choose one thing or another. Since it is supposed to be sunny today and tomorrow, I might choose to do some outdoor work on my house today rather than putting it off until later in the week, since there's a chance of precipitation later on. If I choose to do other things now and end up cleaning up my yard in the rain, I'll have nobody to blame but myself. Generally, the more information I consider before choosing to do something, the better chance I have of making a solid decision.

What important choice have you made recently? What were your options? What reasons led you to choose one path over the alternatives?

Olympics

2010-03-01T09:44:00.000-08:00

The 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver just wrapped up. I was moderately interested, although I didn't watch or follow the coverage as much as some of my friends. I did enjoy watching some of the speed skating, the hockey, and the ski jump competitions. I was most impressed by the coverage of the bobsled competition. The way that the event was captured on camera showed vividly the insane speeds at which the bobsleds shoot down the chute. Having less than total control over the sled probably makes it even more stressful to ride, since you might feel the sled losing control but know that you couldn't do anything about it.

Did you follow the Olympics at all? Why or why not? What were your favorite events to follow? Why?

Fight songs and sound effects

2010-02-22T09:47:00.000-08:00

The Michigan marching band plays the Michigan fight song at football games when the team storms onto the field. Touchdowns, field goals, and other great plays often are closely followed by the playing of the fight song. What song would you like to hear as you enter a room? What song would you like to have playing as you do something good?

A change in behavior

2010-02-08T07:52:00.000-08:00

Click on the picture to learn about the effects of concussions and head trauma on Mike Webster. Does some of Ponyboy's behavior make more sense when his recent head injuries are taken into account? Give one specific example of a choice or action of Ponyboy's that you think resulted at least in part from his concussion.

A look behind the scenes

2010-02-01T09:36:00.001-08:00

Click on the picture above to read about the experiences of one of the cast members from the movie version of The Outsiders. Why would the director have wanted the actors playing the greasers and Socs to feel animosity towards each other?

Last week I put a Delinquent Habits line on the board:
"How you gonna understand where I'm from when you're looking at me smug, think I'm packing a gun?
How you gonna understand the life I live when you refuse to listen, [have] no time to give?"

What is it like to feel that things are slanted unfairly against you? Do those who benefit from the unfairness understand how you feel? How does this affect their approach to the situation?

2010-01-25T06:33:00.000-08:00

In the movie version of The Outsiders, this is how the greasers looked. If there were greasers today, how would they be dressed? How would they do their hair?

Walter goes to Hollywood

2010-01-11T09:25:00.000-08:00

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is being made into a movie. Mike Myers, who played Austin Powers, is the actor who will play Walter onscreen. Since Walter has an extremely active imagination, it is certainly conceivable that he frequently pictured himself as a movie star. What star do you think Walter would imagine himself being? If they did a movie about your life, what movie star would you want to play you? Why?

Favorites

2010-01-04T09:43:00.000-08:00

Recently in Mr. Noto's room I noticed a list of the Top 100 movies of all time. Inspired by this list, I began a list of my favorite 100 movies of all time. One of my top sports movies is Miracle, which is the story of the 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey team. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie for several reasons. I am easily annoyed by overly exciting or unrealistically portrayed sports action scenes. I much prefer to see the action as it was, and the movie Miracle steers clear of exaggerating the action.

What is one of your favorite movies? What about it do you particularly enjoy? Make sure to use a few adverbs in your response!

It's time for report cards again!

2009-12-14T09:37:00.000-08:00

What is this boy thinking as he goes over his report card? Is he happy with how he prepared for tests and quizzes? Did he do all of his assigned homework? How will his parents respond when they see the report card?

Use as many descriptive words (especially adjectives) as you can in order to construct a wonderful response. Also, think about using a resource like m-w.com to find fantastic words and spell them correctly.

First real snow

2009-12-07T05:39:00.000-08:00

Saturday the first substantial snow of the season fell. For some, snow means wonderful things. Snow signals sledding, snowball fights, snowmen, and outdoor frolicking followed by warm dry clothes and a mug of hot chocolate. For others snow means shoveling sidewalks and driveways, driving in hazardous conditions, slipping and falling, and puddles on the floor from melted, tracked-in snow.

What does snow mean for you? What are some of your favorite aspects of snowy days? What are some of your least favorite aspects of powdery precipitation?

Three and a Half Weeks

2009-11-30T09:10:00.000-08:00

Three and a half weeks from today, we'll be taking our Winter Break. What important events will happen between then and now? Will you be busy with family obligations? How will this potentially frantic time of year impact your ability to do well in school? How will you make sure to do your best to focus on performing magnificently within the classroom with so many distractions?

Finally, three and a half weeks from now will you look back on the time with pride and excitement on what you've done, or will you regret opportunities lost?

Thankfulness

2009-11-23T09:37:00.000-08:00

We often think about Thanksgiving as a time to gorge ourselves on vast quantities of scrumptious food, stare at hours of football, and travel too many hours on highways that are way too crowded. It can also be a great time to take stock of a year gone by.

Since last Thanksgiving my wife and I have welcomed a wonderful, charming, healthy daughter into our family, and that is the thing for which I am most thankful. I am learning to be more conscientious, more thoughtful, and more giving because now there is a person who depends in part on me for her survival in this cold world.

What has happened since last Thanksgiving that you are most thankful for?

Arguing or bickering?

2009-11-16T09:43:00.000-08:00

One character posits that an argument is a connected series of statements intended to establish a proposition. In other words, a group of thoughts should work together in order to persuade somebody of something. However, bickering generally consists of just disagreeing with whatever another person says.

When you disagree with friends, classmates, siblings, parents, and teachers, do you tend to argue or bicker? How does that work out for you?

Another pandemic?

2009-11-09T09:44:00.000-08:00

Click on the link above to learn about the effect of the Flu Epidemic of 1918 on upstate New York (and the world). Are you at all concerned that the Swine Flu will be as serious as the Spanish Flu was almost 90 years ago? Why or why not?

Make sure to use some specific details to support your opinions.

Disagree with me

2009-11-02T08:45:00.000-08:00

Summer vacation is the biggest obstacle to having our students achieve their academic potential. Currently we have four ten-week quarters, which totals 200 school days. We should shift to a year-round school model, with only a two week break in early July. As a trade-off, we would not have school on Mondays. Fifty weeks with four school days per week would still give us 200 school days. Teachers, students, and administrators alike enjoy three day weekends - just imagine if every weekend was a three day weekend! I don't even think we would miss summer vacation all that much. Most of us are bored by the end of the break, and we are excited to get back to school to see our friends again.

Finally, with only a two-week break, students would forget less. Teachers could invest time in teaching lots of fun and exciting new things rather than boring the students by reviewing the things they had already "learned" but had forgotten over the summer.

In your comment, disagree with what I am saying above. Make sure to use as many good reasons as you can think of.

On what do you base your opinions?

2009-10-26T07:20:00.000-07:00

Recently we celebrated Columbus Day. Many of the contemporaries of Christopher Columbus believed that the world was flat. We know today that they were wrong. However, many of them were basing their opinions on the best information available to them at the time.

Imagine being a young student in 1430. Everybody you know believes that the world is flat. Your parents believe that the world is flat. Your teachers believe that the world is flat. You can see with your eyes that the part of the earth where you live is flat. One day somebody tells you that the world is curved. How would you react? On what would you base your belief or disbelief?

Use good words to write better

2009-10-19T04:53:00.000-07:00

1. The pig sat near the courthouse.

2. Cleverly disguised as a judge, the pig rested in the shade of a small maple in front of the courthouse.

3. Porky looked nervously around, wondering whether Fred the Farmer would recognize him in his costume and regretting choosing such a public place for his meeting with Chewy the Chicken.

All of the sentences above describe the picture. Which sentence do you like best? Why? Re-write sentence one to make it more descriptive. Feel free to add extra information that reveals more of the plot of the story (use sentence 3 as a guide).

Pig farm

2009-10-14T04:57:00.001-07:00

Family farm

2009-10-14T04:55:00.000-07:00

A bonanza of information

2009-10-14T04:30:00.000-07:00

Click on the picture above to get all kinds of great information on corporate farming. In Gaia Girls Elizabeth does a little research into corporate farming, figuring that the more she knows the better she'll be able to defend her family's farm. What is the main benefit of corporate farming? Who reaps this benefit? What are two costs of corporate farming? Who bears these costs? Is this fair?

By the way, STC dudes, in eighth grade you'll take a field trip on which you'll learn all about the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed. Cooperstown is at the northern-most edge of the waters that feed the Chesapeake Bay, so water quality issues from farms here have a direct effect on water quality around the Bay. It's important to leisure activities and delicious crabs that people 500 miles from you take good care of their water!

How's the Weather?

2009-10-13T09:44:00.000-07:00

As we move deeper into autumn, the weather can vary widely from being gorgeous to being downright miserable. What are some of your favorite outdoor autumn activities? How does the weather affect your enjoyment of these activities?

For example, I enjoy playing soccer in the autumn, and I find that even playing in cool weather is quite enjoyable, since my running around warms me up. However, a cold rain makes playing soccer outside completely unappealing to me.

Recess - good or bad?

2009-10-05T07:45:00.000-07:00

Read the article below. What are Anthony's strongest two points? Do you agree with him, or are you skeptical of his argument?

Anthony Pantalena

Age 13

Recess

Some schools are taking away recess from kids, but that may hurt them more then help. Recess helps students focus, and can improve your school’s reputation. Also, students with recess have better social skills. Recess should be a part of the curriculum of HKMS. Studies at Texas University have shown that kids who have recess work better in school than kids who don’t. The studies show that kids need a break to run around after a lot of work. Then they will be less stressed and more focused on stuff like class work. Like one time I had a ton of homework on the weekend, and taking breaks after finishing something helped me to keep relaxed and stay focused. Also, the brain needs down time to recycle chemicals that help long term memory. This way, they will remember about a lesson a teacher gave, a project that is due, or what homework is due. Overall, recess will help the kids have better grades in every class.

Because kids will get better grades, recess should help your school to get a better reputation. People looking for a place to move would look to Easton for their wonderful school reputation. Thus, more people would move to the great town of Easton, bringing more money to our town because more people means more people buying houses, property, and paying taxes. Also, more kids in our school would mean more friends for everyone, for everyone would find new friends in the new kids.

Recess gives kids a taste of the real world. In recess, kids have to learn how to resolve conflicts on their own, without adult help. Also, they learn how to work with each other, and cooperate. Like if there is a controversial incident in a game, the teams must work it out with each other. This gives the kids a taste of the real world, because they will have to work it out without any adult help, and that is what life is like. This will help the kids build character, and make more friends. Making recess go back in HKMS should make these kids grow in to good, responsible young adults.

So overall, recess helps kids concentrate, raises your reputation, and if you don’t do it, bullying will increase. I hope that this has convinced you to add recess to HKMS.

© Copyright 2007 Anthony Pantalena (UN: tonythetiger at Writing.Com). All rights reserved. Anthony Pantalena has granted Writing.Com, its affiliates and syndicates non-exclusive rights to display this work.

Cost - Benefit Analysis

2009-09-28T05:55:00.000-07:00

Often when a decision that will affect lots of people needs to be made (greasy small burger/delicious steak with fresh peas), those who will make the decision do a cost - benefit analysis. What would the extra cost be of serving some of the delicious dishes that were suggested? For example, what might it cost to set up a seafood buffet? We could start by figuring the cost per student of a certain amount of seafood, but that might not give us accurate figures. Sometimes students go for bigger portions of food that they love, especially if they only get to have it occasionally. So the costs of providing a seafood buffet to middle school and high school students could be exorbitant.
What would the benefit be? The students might really enjoy the buffet, but what is the real benefit to a school of having students enjoy their lunch? Do happy students work any harder? Do they behave impeccably? Do they even tell their parents how wonderful lunch was?

It seems possible that the school doesn't care whether students like lunch - the school just needs to make sure that the students have an opportunity to eat a certain amount of nutritious food. Beyond that, any extra cost incurred doesn't result in any benefit, so it would be a waste of precious money. Is this a fair way to look at things?

Predictable?

2009-09-21T04:51:00.000-07:00

Last week, The Washington Huskies beat Idaho to end a losing streak that extended back into last season. This week the Huskies knocked off the perennial power USC Trojans. The Huskies were unranked and 1-1. The Trojans were 2-0 and coming off of a huge win over the Ohio State Buckeyes in Columbus. USC has better recruits every year and a very successful program. Why was this result somewhat predictable?

Making predictions

2009-09-14T05:37:00.000-07:00

Observing patterns can help us make predictions. What patterns in your day at school have you observed? What characteristics do your teachers have that make them predictable?

Tom Terrific

2009-09-09T04:28:00.000-07:00

When you are young and extremely talented, it can be difficult to receive criticism. In twenty to thirty words, describe the lesson that Gil Hodges tried to pass on to Tom Seaver. How might somebody with less character than Tom have reacted?

In a perfect world . . .

2009-09-09T04:23:00.000-07:00

In twenty to thirty words, describe what you wish the cafeteria would serve for lunch. Why would this be the best meal?

A picture is worth a bunch of words

2009-09-09T04:19:00.000-07:00

In twenty to thirty words, describe the action in the picture. Michigan's #45 is Obi Ezeh, and the quarterback for Western Michigan is Tim Hiller. For the best possible score, describe the action from the point of view of somebody in the picture.

Making Predictions (part two)

2009-06-01T19:01:00.000-07:00

How do you think your seventh grade year will be going in October? What kind of grades will you be earning? What class will you enjoy the most? What will you be doing at recess? What sport will you be playing? What position?

On what are you basing these predictions? What clues from this year, and what inferences that you draw from your teachers' comments are you using to form these predictions? And, finally, how many stars would you give your predictions, and why?

Tbhose of you who respond and then check back in October will set yourself up for a really cool experience. By reviewing the thoughts that we've put together in the past and the things on which we based those thougts we can check in on ourselves, and monitor our own learning and thinking. When we harness the ability to think well metacognitively, we will harness the ability to think well.

Making Predictions (parallel reading prompt)

2009-05-21T10:31:00.000-07:00

As good readers, it is important for you to make predictions as you read. You use the information that the authur gives you, make inferences, and build a prediction. It is equally important for you to check on the accuracy of your predictions, and think about why they were accurate or inaccurate. Sometimes the author includes misleading information so that he can surprise you later on. Sometimes you will mis-infer. Sometimes, though, your prediction will be spot on, a wonderful reward for the time and thought you have put into making the prediction.

What was one prediction you made while reading Treasure Island? On what did you base this prediction? Knowing what you know now, was it a good prediction?

What is your current PR book? Make a prediction about something that will happen in the book, and tell me the information and inferences on which you are basing this prediction. Finally, tell me how many stars you would give this prediction, and why.

It's been a long year

2009-05-21T07:30:00.001-07:00

Look back at some of the posts from early in the year, as well as the comments posted to them. What are some of your favorite posts from this academic year? Who made some of the most insightful comments? If you could change one of your responses because of something you have learned, what would you change? Why?

As vacation time approaches . . .

2009-05-12T05:32:00.000-07:00

Which of the countries from which we've had a visitor (click on the ClustrMap to get a list of all of them) would you most like to visit? Why?

Harder but at the same time easier.

2009-05-08T06:18:00.000-07:00

In Latin, there are different cases of nouns, so that 'boy' could be puer, pueri, puero, or puerum depending on its use in the sentence. 'Boys' could be pueri, puerorum, pueris, or pueros. This can be a bit confusing to learn, but once you have a firm grasp on it, grammar becomes easier. For example, in Latin the noun that receives the direct object is written in the dative case. In English, the recipient of the direct object is sometimes the indirect object, but at other times it is the object of a preposition.

In both of the following sentences, 'boy' receives the direct object 'homework'. In Latin it is in the dative case in both sentences; in English it's the indirect object in sentence one and an OP in sentence two.

1. The mean teacher gave the boy homework.
2. The mean teacher gave homework to the boy.

As you can see from the following clip from The Life of Brian, this made things difficult for the graffiti writers in ancient Rome.

The Catch

2009-05-07T06:12:00.000-07:00

We have talked some about how mastering the basics allows you to accomplish the extraordinary. The 49ers practiced the game-winning play over and over and over again throughout the season, but they never practiced it with this ending. However, along with the scripted play Montana practiced skills like pump-faking to get defenders off of their feet, and Clark practiced coming back to the quarterback in a scramble situation. The time behind the scenes preparing for various contingencies allowed a great play to blossom from a broken situation. Years later when a football fan talks about "The Catch", all of the other fans know he's referring to Montana heaving the ball off of his back foot over the outstretched arms of the Cowboys defenders, and Clark soaring over his defender to secure the ball and win the game.

The Indian or the Arrow?

2009-05-04T05:46:00.000-07:00

When I was in middle school, Rickey Henderson was lighting up the basepaths for the Oakland A's, my favorite baseball team. Rickey was the best lead-off hitter of all time. He could hit for power, but more important to the offense of the A's was his ability to get on base and create havoc for the defense. The all-time stolen base leader, Rickey turned walks and singles into doubles and sometimes triples. Rickey was fast and had great timing; he also had the coolest batting gloves ever. When everybody else was wearing fairly standard Franklin batting gloves that were white with a team colored area on the back of the hand, Mizuno made Rickey some sweet neon green gloves with padding on the back. The gloves were as unique and flashy as Rickey was, and I desperately wanted a pair. I was certain that if only I had a pair of Rickey's gloves, I would a great baseball player, and probably I'd be at least a step or two faster. As soon as I was on base the fielder's would all get a little nervous and the pitcher would go into a cold sweat. The catcher would feel sick. They would all be consumed with the fear that if they made even the slightest mistake, I would be tearing around third, slidding head (and awesome gloves) first into home, and celebrating with my teammates.

I never got the gloves. I never made it to the majors. I'm beginning to think it might have had more to do with my inability to hit a curve ball than my lack of awesome gloves. But I'm not completely positive.

Leadership

2009-04-28T05:56:00.000-07:00

There are many different styles that successful leaders adopt. Some demand perfection from their teammates; others are more supportive and encouraging. Some effective leaders are cool-headed, never showing their emotions; others get fired up and try to spread the fire to those around them. Some lead quietly with their example, while others use inspiring speeches to motivate those around them.

Long John Silver and Captain Smollett had very different leadership styles. You could argue that Smollett had a better supporting cast; because of the other members of his 'team' Silver was doomed to be a great leader who never achieved the pinnacle of success, like Dan Marino of the Dolphins. Which leader would you most want to lead your team? If you were losing in the last moments of a game, whom do you think could turn things around and pull victory from the jaws of defeat?

Practicing for a Known Purpose

2009-04-22T05:19:00.000-07:00

I love going to practice. I especially enjoy wrestling practice, because I actually get to practice against our guys. By wrestling around with our individual wrestlers, I can help each fine-tune a few moves and work on improving situations in which he's been giving up points. I also get some selfish rewards; it helps me stay in shape and it's a lot of fun to compete against such good athletes. This year Chris Gill (second from the left) made huge strides toward the end of the year. At both the State and Prep National tournaments, he beat somebody who had beaten him just seven days earlier, and in both cases the benefit to him and the team was enormous. At States he beat the Bishop O'Connell kid who beat him the week before at St. Alban's, finishing ahead of him to help the Saints narrowly beat the Knights for the state title. Later in States, Chris got worked over by the kid from Liberty Christian, a defending State Champ. The next weekend, Chris beat the Liberty Christian kid up at the Prep Nationals tournament in Lehigh. By winning this match, Chris qualified as a Prep National All American. He was one of five Saints All Americans, the most we've ever had in one year.
How was he able to beat the people to whom he had so recently lost? Losing to the O'Connell and Liberty Christian kids taught him what he needed to work on. Each week we worked on those specific strategies and skills, practicing them over and over until they were near perfect. While drilling the same moves again and again and again is not the most exciting thing in the world, Chris knew he had to do it. If he didn't get better, he would lose to people the team needed him to beat.
Some people run into difficulty and give up. They lose confidence in the face of a tough adversary and give less effort the next time around because they think they won't succeed. Others take a lesson from every loss, coming back stronger the next time around. Which type of person will you be? When you do poorly on a test or quiz, what is your reaction?

One good deed

2009-04-16T10:31:00.000-07:00

A friend and I were recently talking, and she said she had a basketball signed by some retired 76er's players, including Maurice "Mo" Cheeks. Cheeks was a successful player and coach in the NBA for years, but for me his career was defined by the moment captured in this video. In a split second he made a decision to do something he'd never done before, something nobody had ever done before. In doing so he acted with love, empathy, and compassion for a stranger, helping her out in arguably the most difficult moment of her life.

Baseball Season is Here!

2009-04-15T06:57:00.000-07:00

The Oakland A's are my favorite team (and I must admit I'm bummed that Kotsay isn't on the team anymore). I love the optimism that springs anew each season as young players are given a chance to shine and old favorites try to set new high marks. I also enjoy pulling for a low-budget team from a small market. There aren't many other A's fans around, and every A's fan right now is a true fan. The nice thing about being an average team is that nobody is trying to jump on the bandwagon. If the A's do pull off a great year, I'll be super stoked, and will feel rewarded for hanging in as a fan during the lean years.

Motivation

2009-04-10T05:30:00.000-07:00

Into what circumstances are these pirates born? What are their options for providing for a family, as they see them? What do you do if you're not a "gentleman born", but you have aspirations for greatness?

Negotiating with Pirates

2009-04-10T05:27:00.000-07:00

Anderson Cooper says that dealing with the pirates can be tricky because they can be unpredictable, unreliable, confrontational, and they generally are consuming a mind-altering substance. Has this changed much since the days of Long John Silver?

More Pirates!!

2009-04-10T05:19:00.000-07:00

When we think of pirates attacking, we usually think of them looking for treasure that would easily be spent or traded; gold and silver coins and bars, precious stones, and so on. These pirates attacked a merchant ship carrying relief supplies. Why would they do something like this?

Pirates!!

2009-04-08T09:40:00.000-07:00

Long John wasn't the last of the pirates. Although we think of pirates as sailing wooden ships and swinging swords, there are still those who are willing to risk life and limb to steal from lesser-armed nautical vehicles.

Inspiration and Dedication

2009-04-08T06:43:00.001-07:00

In the Upper School chapel talk he gave on Tuesday, Mr. Schalles talked about 'failing to the top'. One example he gave concerned the invention of the lightbulb. We often think about Thomas Alva Edison as being a genius, and he was a truly intelligent individual.

Edison went through over a thousand failures before he finally invented a working lightbulb. Mr. Schalles used this point to emphasize that everybody fails. True failure is giving up before achieving that which you set out to accomplish.

Confidence, pt. 2

2009-04-01T07:21:00.000-07:00

Learning to ride a bike can be challenging. The imagined danger of falling is sometimes worse than the actual danger that exists. It can be hard for parents to intentionally put children in harm's way, knowing that if a child falls a skinned knee or bloody elbow could bring a flood of tears.

Because of this, training wheels are a very popular option. They allow a child to ride on the bicycle without fear of falling. However, whenever the training wheels are in use, the child is mis-balanced. Relying on the training wheels reinforces bad habits. If you look closely at the above picture, you can see that the child isn't even on a bike; it's essentially a tricycle with an extra wheel in the middle of the back. Instead of helping this boy learn to balance and ride a bike, it instills a false sense of confidence. When he tries riding a real bike, he'll quickly find out that he hasn't gained the proper skills to ride.

When I learned to ride, my father took the pedals off of the bike and lowered the seat so that my feet could touch the ground. No training wheels were involved. I could push along with my feet, and lift them to coast along. With training wheels, you can keep riding for quite a while with a training wheel on the ground. This was not an option for me. I could go for a few feet without touching a foot down. The more I practiced, the longer I could go without touching down. Before long, I was ready for pedals, and I actually had learned to balance.

The most important part of the lesson has nothing to do with riding the bike; it has to do with the next batch of things I tried out. I knew that I had learned to ride a bike. That gave me the confidence to try new and seemingly risky things like climbing tree, catching a fast-moving baseball, and so on. I knew that I might be bad at first, but that by practicing doing the activity I wanted to learn, I would improve gradually until it was as natural as riding a bike.

Confidence

2009-03-30T11:33:00.000-07:00

Confidence comes from doing things. It sounds simplistic, but it's really important. To gain confidence in something, you first have to try it. Trying something new takes courage, because you're likely not to be all that good at whatever you're trying the first time. Have the courage to try something new; keep working at it even though it will be rough the first few times through; do it again and again until it becomes routine. Then you'll have the confidence to accomplish what you need to when it matters the most.

The Coolest Thing I've Seen On YouTube Recently

2009-03-25T05:44:00.000-07:00

First of all, many thanks to Mr. Ware for showing me this video. I think the most impressive thing is the ability of the border collies. The extent to which they can manage the sheep exactly as the men want, based on a series of whistles is astonishing! If we tried to do the same thing using 6th graders instead of sheep would we be able?

Whom do you trust?

2009-03-24T11:57:00.000-07:00

Who are some of the people in your life that you trust? Why do you trust them? Have they lied to you before? Who do you trust less? What have they done to lost your trust?

Buried Treasure

2009-03-23T11:32:00.000-07:00

What would be some of the difficulties in protecting your fortune by keeping it buried on an island unkown to most people? How would you get it there? How would you keep it a secret? How would you go back to get it? How often would you need to check on it to make sure that nobody else took it?